Waterford Township officials weighing legal services contracts

What attorneys Waterford Township will choose for legal services will be reviewed by the township board at its Monday meeting.

The township of 72,000 residents contracts with three types of attorneys -- labor for negotiations, general counsel and prosecution.

Currently Walt Bedell, the Waterford Prosecutor, has held the position for more than 30 years, from 1976-84, and from 1988 until present.

The contract last year for prosecution services was $200,000, said Gary Wall, township supervisor. Overall, attorney costs run $300,000.

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The amount can vary, Wall said.

"For example in 2010, staff rewrote ordinances so the costs were higher that year," said Wall.

West Bloomfield Township paid its prosecutor $141,000 in 2012.

In Independence Township, with a population of 34,700, Supervisor Pat Kittle said last year the prosecutor is paid $56,984, the human resources attorney receives $13,312 and the municipal attorney earns $56,718, for a total of $127,014.

Pontiac paid more than $670,000 for its primary outside law firm last year.

White Lake Township, population 30,000, paid attorneys $152,678 for labor and general services, and $97,073 for a prosecutor last year.

Waterford requested quotes from area attorneys brought in 35 bids, said Wall.

"No one firm bid on all three -- labor, general services and prosecution," he said.

A committee made up of three elected township officials and two employees sifted through the bids. Wall did not name members of the committee.

"We were looking for size of the firm, their workload, what they'd charge and experience. We took everything into consideration," said Wall.

Five firms in the three categories were invited to meet with the committee.

On Monday the top candidates in each category will be presented to the trustees, said Wall.

"In the past the supervisors picked the attorneys and the board approved it," he said.

"I believe you should have an interview and get different opinions."

Wall said the current prosecutor has an office at Waterford's 51st District Court.

"I called other district courts and that's completely unheard of," said Wall.

"It's not the norm. The prosecutor is a contract employee."

The Waterford Board meets at 6 p.m. Monday at town hall at 5200 Civic Center Drive in Waterford. Call 248-674-6201.

Contact Carol Hopkins at 248-745-4645 or carol.hopkins@oakpress.com. Follow her on Twitter @OPCarolHopkins or on Facebook @OPcarolhopkins.